CSM chapter 145 ends with the eerie tone of Barem chanting ‘Kumbaya..my lord’. And this chant stands out, not just because it is Barem who is saying them, but also because of his peculiar choice of words.
The phrase ‘Kumbaya, my lord’ is from a popular folk song from the yesteryear. While its origins are contested widely, the phrase itself is very meaningful.
Kumbaya is a Hebrew word which is meant to invoke God, an appeal made for him to come and help those in need (even the song is believed to have the same intentions). It translates to “Arise and Come, God”.
So going by that Barem is calling for God to come help him in particular, or the Chainsaw Man Church, or in general.
But why? Who is he specifically calling out to with the Kumbaya song?
Why did Barem chant Kumbaya? Who is he invoking?
To answer in short, Barem chanted Kumbaya to call for either the Darkness Devil or the Chainsaw Man himself. I reached the conclusion based on the hints given in the manga by Fujimoto.
Before we actually get to discussing that, there are a couple of things I need to point out.
This isn’t the first time we have gotten the God reference from Chainsaw Man Church members, especially the weapons hybrids.
The first notable mention was from Barem himself in CSM chapter 141. He said that God would forgive them no matter how many people they kill during their attack. This was right before he revealed that the hybrids of CSM church would be attacking the food court of the mall.
And then in chapter 143, the other weapons hybrids also float a similar concept and thought process. They believe that the massacre they are about to carry out is a message from God, and that they were chosen by God.
At first, it just seems like a delusion of some deranged lunatics, however, when you put it together with Barem’s Kumbaya in chapter 145, it makes us feel that their actions are being carried out for a very specific purpose, with this ‘God’ in the midst of it all.
But who is this God? Like I mentioned above, it could either be the Darkness Devil or the Chainsaw Man himself!
Is it the Darkness devil?
The major reason why everyone believes that Barem is calling out to the Darkness Devil is because of the imagery that is portrayed in the latest chapter.
When Barem is singing Kumbaya, Fujimoto shows us a couple of panels, particularly focusing on how the sun is setting and that darkness was creeping in.
If that is to be taken as a literal symbolism for the advent of a devil, then Darkness Devil is the one that fits the bill.
Also, Darkness is a primordial devil, one of the most powerful devils we have seen till now, mirroring the Horsemen and even Chainsaw Man himself. They have not experienced death even once in their lifetime.
And if night falls, Darkness Devil will be at the peak of its powers.
If we are to believe that Barem is really invoking a God, then Darkness Devil is the only one we have seen till now who can live up to that title.
The other devil who might close enough is the Death Devil, the final horseman who is yet to be introduced in the series. However, based on the hints and imagery, Darkness the more obvious choice.
So, the possibility of Darkness Devil appearing in CSM chapter 146 cannot be brushed aside. In fact, the fandom has put their weight behind this theory and are probably looking forward to this happening.
However, there is one more possibility that we definitely cannot ignore – that Barem could have been invoking the Chainsaw Man.
Is it the Chainsaw Man?
Now, it’s possible that Barem is calling for help from the person who is pulling the strings of Chainsaw Man church from the shadows. This was believed to be the Justice Devil.
But in CSM chapter 145, we come to know that the Justice Devil was just a red herring planted by Fujimoto. The Justice Devil was supposedly under the control of Fami this whole time, and it was obliterated by the Falling Devil in chapter 131 thanks to a clever intervention from Nayuta.
If not the Justice Devil, who really could it be?
The other candidate that comes to mind is Fami. In chapter 132, she was literally called the brains of the Chainsaw Man church by Barem.
However, does it make sense for Barem to be invoking Fami, calling her a God? Probably not.
Now here’s where things get interesting. And Barem’s question to Denji in chapter 140 is quite important to understand where I am going with this!
It was revealed in that chapter Barem wanted to forcefully bring out the Chainsaw Man, and at one point he even floated the idea that maybe killing Asa would help him achieve this goal.
In the final panel of CSM 145, we see that Asa has been put in quite a difficult situation. After the Chainsaw Man church’s act of terrorism, it was a given that she would be hunted down for her connections to the cult, for being the church’s poster girl and also because she is the War Devil.
And that situation indeed came to pass. Yoshida has infiltrated her apartment and he is showing Asa no mercy.
If Denji gets to know that Asa is in danger, do you think he’ll just sit around? Would he let another person he knows be taken from him? Both of them shared some good moments after all. Asa even reminded Denji of Power.
There is no way he could turn his back on such a scenario.
Putting Asa in danger WILL bring Chainsaw Man out, and that sits perfectly with Barem chanting Kumbaya! His question to Denji was just a subtle foreshadowing for what was about to come.
According to me, the whole plan of getting Asa involved, and then making the hybrids attack the mall, was already planned in advance by Fami to force Denji’s hand. The Chainsaw Man church’s real goal has always been to bring out the Chainsaw Man.
Asa didn’t become the poster girl out of her own will. It was Fami, who was stated to be the brains of the Chainsaw Man church, who pushed her into becoming one.
You’re probably wondering why the church would call Denji a God right? He is a total degenerate after all. But then, their target was never Denji the human, just like in Makima’s case. It is the Chainsaw Man, and probably the ‘black’ one.
Consider this – Barem is a member of the CHAINSAW MAN CHURCH. A cult that worships the Chainsaw Man. And if the Chainsaw Man is not the God for them, who else would it be.
More hints:
Another possible hint? Beam has always called Denji ‘lord Chainsaw’. And Barem chants ‘Kumbaya, my lord’. It is somewhat steep of a connection, but I like it.
Also, in chapter 83, we see a group of fiends bowing to Denji (the Chainsaw Man), while Makima explains that they were his followers and they agree to join her even if they had different ‘faiths’.
She even mentions that the other devils ‘worship’ Chainsaw Man!
Still need more hints? Here’s one for you: it is said that Chainsaw Man will come to your aid if you cry for help. And what is Kumbaya if not a call for help?
There is a very real possibility that Chainsaw Man is Barem’s intended target.
What are your theories on Barem’s Kumbaya from chapter 145? Let me know them in the comments below, or hit me up on Twitter/Reddit!